[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 178 (Wednesday, September 15, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56089-56092]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-22939]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

[Docket No. PF10-19-000]


Equitrans, L.P.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Assessment for the Planned Sunrise Pipeline Project, Request for 
Comments on Environmental Issues, and Notice of Public Scoping Meeting

September 3, 2010.
    The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or 
Commission) will prepare an environmental assessment (EA) that will 
discuss the environmental impacts of the Sunrise Pipeline Project 
(Project) involving construction and operation of facilities by 
Equitrans, L.P. (Equitrans) in Doddridge, Wetzel, Harrison, Marion

[[Page 56090]]

and Taylor Counties, West Virginia, and Greene County, Pennsylvania. 
This EA will be used by the Commission in its decision-making process 
to determine whether the project is in the public convenience and 
necessity.
    This notice announces the opening of the scoping process that the 
Commission will use to gather input from the public and interested 
agencies on the project. Your input will help the Commission staff 
determine what issues need to be evaluated in the EA. Please note that 
the scoping period will close on October 4, 2010.
    Comments may be submitted in written form or verbally. Further 
details on how to submit written comments are provided in the Public 
Participation section of this notice. In lieu of or in addition to 
sending written comments, you are invited to attend the public scoping 
meetings scheduled as follows:

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        Date and time                           Location
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September 28, 2010, 7 p.m.     Falcon Center, Fairmont State University,
 EDT.                           1201 Locust Avenue, Fairmont, WV 26554.
                                Telephone: 304-333-3777.
September 29, 2010, 7 p.m.     Alumni Hall (Miller Hall 3rd Floor),
 EDT.                           Waynesburg University, Main Campus, 51
                                West College Street, Waynesburg, PA
                                15370.Telephone: 800-225-7393.
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    This notice is being sent to the Commission's current environmental 
mailing list for this project. State and local government 
representatives are asked to notify their constituents of this planned 
project and encourage them to comment on their areas of concern.
    If you are a landowner receiving this notice, you may be contacted 
by a pipeline company representative about the acquisition of an 
easement to construct, operate, and maintain the planned facilities. 
The pipeline company would seek to negotiate a mutually acceptable 
agreement. However, if the Project is approved by the Commission, that 
approval conveys with it the right of eminent domain. Therefore, if 
easement negotiations fail to produce an agreement, the pipeline 
company could initiate condemnation proceedings where compensation 
would be determined in accordance with state or federal law.
    A fact sheet prepared by the FERC entitled ``An Interstate Natural 
Gas Facility on My Land? What Do I Need To Know?'' is available for 
viewing on the FERC Web site (http://www.ferc.gov). This fact sheet 
addresses a number of typically-asked questions, including the use of 
eminent domain and how to participate in the Commission's proceedings.

Summary of the Proposed Project

    Equitrans has announced its plans to construct and operate 
approximately 95 miles of 24-inch-diameter pipeline and 14 miles of 16-
inch-diameter pipeline and other facilities in northern West Virginia 
and southwestern Pennsylvania. The Sunrise Project would expand its 
existing mainline transmission system to address infrastructure 
constraints associated with the rapid development of natural gas from 
the Marcellus Shale Formation in the central Appalachian Basin. 
Equitrans has indicated that the Project would provide additional firm 
capacity and offer producers a cost effective option to transport 
natural gas to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern markets and storage.
    The Sunrise Pipeline Project would consist of the following:
     Installation of four pipeline segments including:
     H-302--Installation of 70.8 miles of 24-inch-diameter 
pipeline with portions of the line paralleling existing Equitrans 
pipelines (H-527, H-515, H-512, H-111) and a Columbia Gas Transmission 
pipeline. This segment would be located in Greene County, Pennsylvania 
and Doddridge and Wetzel Counties, West Virginia.
     H-306--Installation of 24.5 miles of 24-inch pipeline, 
paralleling the existing Equitrans pipelines: H-557, H-558, H-560, H-
561 and H-562. This segment would be located in Harrison, Marion, and 
Wetzel Counties, West Virginia.
     H-307--Installation of 11.5 miles of 16-inch-diameter 
pipeline, with a portion of the line paralleling the existing Equitrans 
H-558 pipeline and a portion of the line paralleling an existing 
Allegheny Power electrical transmission right-of-way. The pipeline 
would be located in Taylor and Harrison Counties, West Virginia.
     H-308--Installation of 2.1 miles of 16-inch-diameter 
pipeline, paralleling the existing Equitrans H-558 pipeline and 
connecting at Equitrans' Lumberport Station to the H-508 and H-509 
pipelines. This segment would be located in Harrison County, West 
Virginia.
     Construction of construction of two new compressor 
stations:
     Jefferson Compressor Station--Approximately 41,000 
horsepower (hp) of compression would be installed in Jefferson Borough, 
Greene County, Pennsylvania. Up to four separate turbine-driven 
compressor units would be installed. Discharge piping would 
interconnect with the Texas Eastern Transmission and Dominion 
Transmission Systems.
     Shinnston Compressor Station--Approximately 16,000 hp of 
compression would be installed near the Harrison Power Station in the 
town of Shinnston in Harrison County, West Virginia. Up to five 
separate electric-powered reciprocating compressor units would be 
installed.
     Construction or modification of other aboveground 
facilities including five delivery meter and receipt meter facilities, 
10 pig \1\ launcher/receivers; and 18 mainline block valves.
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    \1\ A pig is an internal tool that can be used to clean and dry 
a pipeline and/or to inspect for damage and corrosion.
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    The general location of the project facilities is shown in appendix 
1.\2\
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    \2\ The appendices referenced in this notice are not being 
printed in the Federal Register. Copies of appendices were sent to 
all those receiving this notice in the mail and are available at 
http://www.ferc.gov using the link called ``eLibrary'' or from the 
Commission's Public Reference Room, 888 First Street, NE., 
Washington, DC 20426, or call (202) 502-8371. For instructions on 
connecting to eLibrary, refer to the last page of this notice.
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Land Requirements for Construction

    Equitrans is still in the planning phase for the Sunrise Pipeline 
Project, and workspace requirements have not been finalized at this 
time. As currently planned, construction would disturb approximately 
1,492 acres of land for the aboveground facilities and the pipeline. 
Following construction, about 377 acres would be used for permanent 
operation of the project's facilities. The remaining acreage would be 
restored and allowed to revert to former uses. As planned, the Project 
would mostly parallel existing pipeline systems or linear corridors 
along about 105.4 miles or approximately 97 percent of the route.

The EA Process

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires the 
Commission to take into account the environmental impacts that could 
result from an action whenever it considers the issuance of a

[[Page 56091]]

Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. NEPA also requires us 
\3\ to discover and address concerns the public may have about 
proposals. This process is referred to as scoping. The main goal of the 
scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on important 
environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public 
comments on the scope of the issues to address in the EA. All comments 
received will be considered during the preparation of the EA.
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    \3\ ``We'', ``us'', and ``our'' refer to the environmental staff 
of the Commission's Office of Energy Projects (OEP).
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    In the EA, we will discuss impacts that could occur as a result of 
the construction and operation of the planned project under these 
general headings:
     Geology and soils;
     Land use;
     Water resources, fisheries, and wetlands;
     Cultural resources;
     Vegetation and wildlife;
     Air quality and noise;
     Endangered and threatened species; and
     Public safety.
    We will also evaluate possible alternatives to the planned project 
or portions of the project, and make recommendations on how to lessen 
or avoid impacts on the various resource areas.
    Although no formal application has been filed, we have already 
initiated our NEPA review under the Commission's pre-filing process. 
The purpose of the pre-filing process is to encourage early involvement 
of interested stakeholders and to identify and resolve issues before an 
application is filed with the FERC. As part of our pre-filing review, 
we have begun to contact some federal and state agencies to discuss 
their involvement in the scoping process and the preparation of the EA.
    Our independent analysis of the issues will be presented in the EA. 
The EA will be placed in the public record and, depending on the 
comments received during the scoping process, may be published and 
distributed to the public. A comment period will be allotted if the EA 
is published for review. We will consider all comments on the EA before 
we make our recommendations to the Commission. To ensure your comments 
are considered, please carefully follow the instructions in the Public 
Participation section on page 6.
    With this notice, we are asking agencies with jurisdiction and/or 
special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally 
cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA. These agencies may 
choose to participate once they have evaluated the proposal relative to 
their responsibilities. Agencies that would like to request cooperating 
agency status should follow the instructions for filing comments 
provided under the Public Participation section of this notice.

Consultations Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act

    In accordance with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 
implementing regulations for section 106 of the National Historic 
Reservation Act, we are using this notice to initiate consultation with 
applicable State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO), and to solicit 
their views and those of other government agencies, interested Indian 
tribes, and the public on the project's potential effects on historic 
properties.\4\ We will define the project-specific Area of Potential 
Effects (APE) in consultation with the SHPOs as the project is further 
developed. On natural gas facility projects, the APE at a minimum 
encompasses all areas subject to ground disturbance (examples include 
construction right-of-way, contractor/pipe storage yards, compressor 
stations, and access roads). Our EA for this project will document our 
findings on the impacts on historic properties and summarize the status 
of consultations under section 106.
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    \4\ The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's regulations 
are at Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 800. 
Historic properties are defined in those regulations as any 
prehistoric or historic district, site, building, structure, or 
object included in or eligible for inclusion in the National 
Register for Historic Places.
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Public Participation

    You can make a difference by providing us with your specific 
comments or concerns about the project. Your comments should focus on 
the potential environmental effects, reasonable alternatives, and 
measures to avoid or lessen environmental impacts. The more specific 
your comments, the more useful they will be. To ensure that your 
comments are timely and properly recorded, please send your comments so 
that they will be received in Washington, DC on or before October 4, 
2010.
    For your convenience, there are four methods you can use to submit 
your comments to the Commission. In all instances, please reference the 
project docket number (PF10-19) with your submission. The Commission 
encourages electronic filing of comments and has expert eFiling staff 
available to assist you at (202) 502-8258 or [email protected].
    (1) You may file your comments electronically by using the eComment 
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at www.ferc.gov 
under the link to Documents and Filings. An eComment is an easy method 
for interested persons to submit brief, text-only comments on a 
project;
    (2) You may file your comments electronically by using the eFiling 
feature, which is located on the Commission's Web site at www.ferc.gov 
under the link to Documents and Filings. With eFiling you can provide 
comments in a variety of formats by attaching them as a file with your 
submission. New eFiling users must first create an account by clicking 
on ``eRegister.'' You will be asked to select the type of filing you 
are making. A comment on a particular project is considered a ``Comment 
on a Filing'';
    (3) You may attend and provide comments at the public scoping 
meetings. A transcript of each meeting will be made so that your 
comments will be accurately recorded which will be included in the 
public record; or
    (4) You may file a paper copy of your comments at the following 
address: Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission, 888 First Street NE., Room 1A, Washington, DC 20426.

Environmental Mailing List

    The environmental mailing list includes federal, state, and local 
government representatives and agencies; elected officials; 
environmental and public interest groups; Native American Tribes; other 
interested parties; and local libraries and newspapers. This list also 
includes all affected landowners (as defined in the Commission's 
regulations) who are potential right-of-way grantors, those whose 
property may be used temporarily for project purposes or who own homes 
within certain distances of aboveground facilities, and anyone who 
submits comments on the project. We will update the environmental 
mailing list as the analysis proceeds to ensure that we send the 
information related to this environmental review to all individuals, 
organizations, and government entities interested in and/or potentially 
affected by the planned project.
    If the EA is published for distribution, copies will be sent to the 
environmental mailing list for public review and comment. If you would 
prefer to receive a paper copy of the document instead of the compact 
disc version or would like to remove your name from the mailing

[[Page 56092]]

list, please return the attached Information Request (appendix 2).

Becoming an Intervenor

    Once Equitrans files its application with the Commission, you may 
want to become an ``intervenor'' which is an official party to the 
Commission's proceeding. Intervenors play a more formal role in the 
process and are able to file briefs, appear at hearings, and be heard 
by the courts if they choose to appeal the Commission's final ruling. 
An intervenor formally participates in the proceeding by filing a 
request to intervene. Instructions for becoming an intervenor are 
included in the User's Guide under the ``e-filing'' link on the 
Commission's Web site. Please note that the Commission will not accept 
requests for intervenor status at this time. You must wait until a 
formal application for the project is filed with the Commission.

Additional Information

    Additional information about the project is available from the 
Commission's Office of External Affairs at (866) 208-FERC, or on the 
FERC Web site (http://www.ferc.gov) using the eLibrary link. Click on 
the eLibrary link, click on ``General Search'' and enter the docket 
number, excluding the last three digits in the Docket Number field 
(i.e., PF10-19). Be sure you have selected an appropriate date range. 
For assistance, please contact FERC Online Support at 
[email protected] or toll free at (866) 208-3676, or for TTY, 
contact (202) 502-8659. The eLibrary link also provides access to the 
texts of formal documents issued by the Commission, such as orders, 
notices, and rulemakings.
    In addition, the Commission offers a free service called 
eSubscription which allows you to keep track of all formal issuances 
and submittals in specific dockets. This can reduce the amount of time 
you spend researching proceedings by automatically providing you with 
notification of these filings, document summaries, and direct links to 
the documents. Go to http://www.ferc.gov/esubscribenow.htm.
    Any public meetings or site visits will be posted on the 
Commission's calendar located at http://www.ferc.gov/EventCalendar/EventsList.aspx along with other related information.
    Finally, to request additional information on the project or to 
provide comments directly to the project sponsor, you can contact 
Equitrans directly by calling toll free at 1-866-687-5427 or by e-mail 
at [email protected]. Also, Equitrans has established an Internet Web 
site at http://www.sunrise.eqt.com with additional information about 
the project.

Kimberly D. Bose,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2010-22939 Filed 9-14-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6717-01-P